1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to communication networks, and more particularly to a method for managing signal measurements in a wireless network.
2. Related Art
Wireless networks are systems exposed to different kinds of transmission problems. When such problems occur, it is important to be able to take adapted action, such as modifying some transmission characteristics e.g., a transmission frequency or a transmission power level.
More precisely, a given transmission channel of a given system can disturb a different transmission channel of the same system or of another system. This type of problem can result, for instance, from the transmission power level being too high. Indeed, when data transmission on a given channel is performed with a too high transmission power level, data transmission performed on another channel can be disturbed.
Moreover, such a wireless network is generally expected to satisfy some regulatory requirements. Thus, for example, an operation in the 5 GHz band in Europe should be compliant with some regulatory requirements, in order to harmonize radio covering and interconnecting of different networks, regarding some transmission characteristics.
Consequently, in a wireless network, it is important to correctly adapt some transmission characteristics for a given data transmission in order to provide, notably, the data transmission with an expected transmission quality level and/or to make the data transmission in compliance with some regulatory requirements.
Such an adaptation can be based on signal measurements performed at station level. Classically, stations are able to perform such signal measurements on given transmission channels.
Some measurement schemes require a centralised management over the wireless network. For example, to obtain measurements corresponding to a noise level in the wireless network, it may be helpful to synchronize stations over the network in order to make stations not allowed to transmit during a determined period of time. Then, based on measurement of the noise level in the wireless network, it is possible to adapt some transmission characteristics, such as the transmission power level or the transmission frequency.
In a wireless network based on a centralised measurement architecture, generally, stations send measurement reports corresponding to the result of their measurement to a centralised entity. This step of sending these measurement reports to the centralised entity can consume an important transmission bandwidth, mainly if there are a lot of stations in the network which are expected to perform measurements Moreover, the consumption of transmission bandwidth increases when measurements are requested frequently in order to have measurement which are accurate in time.
Consequently, a step of sending measurement reports can result in high bandwidth consumption. In view of the foregoing, in a centralised measurement architecture, there is a need for providing measurements which are accurate in time for numerous stations, these measurements being performed in the wireless network at station level, while reducing bandwidth consumption linked to transmission of measurement reports.